The North Star, October 2015

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5 FEATURE 12 Higher

Education

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Current Events North News

27 sports Cover photo of Homecoming bonfire by Nicole Dolan, Inside fall leaves photo via Creative Commons

Getting to know David Stubblefield

By Maya Schreiber

W

e learn a lot about our teachers through the decor of their classrooms. The color of Shelly Weir’s room, the posters in Michael Koehler’s, and the mannequins in Laura Stillwell’s room all provide clues into their personalities.

However, unlike many teachers here at North, the office of Blue Valley North principal David Stubblefield reveals very little about our administrator. With relatively empty office walls, a somber color, and minimal décor, only a few children’s pieces of art line the walls. But, perhaps, it is the simplicity of Stubblefield’s office which reveals the most about him.

“I’m not stuck in my office all the time,” Stubblefield said.

“I try to get out and interact with our staff and our students because that why I became an educator and that’s the part that I really enjoy.

This heavy involvement within the school is also a large part of Stubblefield’s family life.

“Our schedules kind of revolve around school life,” Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield and his wife, the Director of Human Resources in Lawrence Public Schools, have three boys ages 10, 17, and 21. Throughout the years, Stubblefield’s sons have learned to understand their father’s rigorous work commitments. “[They] understood that dad is a coach or dad is a teacher and he’s gotta make sure that he’s taking care of his kids at school as well,” Stubblefield said. “They have grown up with that, so that was just kind of part of our family atmosphere.”

But Stubblefield has also taken advantage of his work opportunities to spend time with his family.

“My youngest son is always around activities at north.

That’s kind of how we spend our time together,” Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield has even had an opportunity to take his family on vacations through the school, going to Hawaii with the Blue Valley North Orchestra one year.

Aside from spending time together at school events, the Stubblefield family also takes summer vacations, spends time at their sons’ baseball games, and participates in their church, New Hope, partially through community service.

“We really try to make it meaningful, the time we do spend together” Stubblefield said.

In addition to family, education has been a large part of Stubblefield’s life.

“Education’s been a pretty big part of my family. Getting

Mr. Stubblefield takes a momentary break in his office.

Photo by Maya Schreiber good grades and emphasis on doing well in school was always a part of our family growing up,” Stubblefield said.

Stubblefield grew up in the small, yet diverse community in Dodge City, KS. “I was able to have lots of different experiences even though it was not a big city,” Stubblefield said.

After high school, Stubblefield received a full athletic scholarship to play football at Missouri State. There, Stubblefield discovered his passion for education.

“I was asked to tutor in the athletic department. I was pretty strong in science, so I would tutor lots of people in biology or chemistry,” Stubblefield said. “I didn’t realize that I was going to be a teacher when I started there, but by the end I knew that it was my passion.”

Once graduated, Stubblefield moved to Kansas City where he took his first teaching job at Center High School in Kansas City, MO. He later took his second job here at Blue Valley North.

“Being a teacher is the best profession someone could do.

The relationships you build in the classroom with students, you can’t recreate that anywhere else,” Stubblefield said.

The walls of Stubblefield’s office are the most telling of our principal. His refusal to be cooped up in his office reveals his passion for North’s education and community.

“I just can’t say enough good things about the community that we live in,” Stubblefield said.

The North Star | 5

1.

3.

4.

2.

1. Louisburg Cider Mill

Enjoy a 10 acre corn maze, hayrides, fresh apple cider, a 10 acre pumpkin patch, hot donuts and more at the Louisburg Cider Mill. Recently voted as one of the top ten cider mills in America by MSNBC, it is a great way to soak up the fall. Ticket prices are $6.00 during the week and $8.00 during the weekend.

2. Kansas City Zoo

Head to Swope Park and check out the Kansas City Zoo. The zoo has a wide variety of animals from a polar bear and penguins to elephants and lions. Ride the sky tram that gives you a bird’s eye view of the African animals. Tickets are $13.50 making the zoo a great activity for anyone.

3. Coffee Time

Check out The Roasterie’s complimentary factory tour. Enjoy an inside look to the blending, cupping, and roasting processes.

Grab a cup of coffee after too,. Students enjoy a 10% discount at The Roasterie by showing their student I.D. 6 | Blue Valley North High School

4.

4. Worlds of Fun Halloween Haunt Prepare to be scared at the Worlds of Fun Halloween Haunt. Scary parades, haunted houses and roller coaster rides are just a few of the attractions that the amusement park offers during October. Over 400 monsters are roaming throughout the park. Tickets start at $39.99.

5. Pumpkin Patch

Get ready for Halloween by heading down to a local pumpkin patch. Some local patches include Johnson Farms, Carolyns Country Cousins Pumpkin Patch and Schuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch. Low prices to enter the patch make it a great way to enjoy fall festivities.

The Best of Fall in Kansas City

By Kristin Larson

7. First Fridays 6. Fall Foliage

Experience the beauty of nature by checking out the Kansas City Powell Gardens. The bright shades of red, orange and yellow on the trees make the gardens a breathtaking sight. Admission is free for all .

Go check out the Kansas City Crossorads district on the first friday of every month.

Thousands fill the district to enjoy a wide variety of artwork and local vendors. Live entertainment begins at 5 P.M while food trucks, street music and sidewalk vendors fill the streets. It is a very popular event in KC with around 10,000 people attending each month. Admission is free, making it a great

8. World Culture

5.

6.

Learn about the great Leonardo Da Vinci at Union Station’s exclusive exhibit. Get inside views on his famous artwork and inventions. The exhibit opens October 23rd and features some of his sketches and paintings . Visitors get a chance to see the thinking behnid famous works such as the Mona Lisa. Tickets begin at $8.00.

8.

9.

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9. Gameday at Arrowhead

Show some KC pride and watch the Kansas City Chiefs play at the loudest stadium in the world. Upcoming home games are Oct. 25th against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Nov.1st agasint the Detroit Lions. Ticket prices are as low as $23.00.

All photos courtesy of Creative Commons

The North Star | 7

I want to be a greek g “

RICHARD DEMETER

2015 ME VS. ME BODYBUILDING NOVICE DIVISION CHAMPION WEIGHT:195 LBS HEIGHT: 6’2” CALORIE INTAKE PER DAY: 5,000 POST WORKOUT DRINK: 2.5 LITERS OF WHOLE MILK 8 | Blue Valley North High School

By jake

“I took

god” goldman

the hair off of my legs the

week before my competition. The day before, I got a spray tan. I was toasted.

Body building was at the end [of the competition]. I was in the pump up room waiting for my turn. I was excited, then a little scared, but ready to be done,” senior Richard Demeter said. “I got on stage, and the lights were so intense. I couldn’t see anybody except the judges. I went through the eight mandatory poses. Afterwards, I completed my routine to Shepherd of Fire by Avenged Sevenfold, showing off my specialties, my legs and back.”

Demeter began lifting two pound dumbbells as a six year old. Now, 11 years later, Demeter stands 6’2”, weighs 195 pounds and curls 70 pounds. At the beginning of July in 2014, Demeter took weightlifting to the next level.

“I got a gym membership, and I blew up,” Demeter said.

At the start of that summer, Demeter weighed 150 pounds. After joining LifeTime Fitness, Demeter realized bodybuilding would accomplish his two goals: looking good and being fit. “[Bodybuilding] is a means to the ends. I feel like my mind gets focused on the lift. It’s all about doing it the best I can. It’s calming, even though I’m all amped up.” Demeter said.

Demeter competed in his first competition last April at the ME VS. ME Bodybuilding Expo in Olathe, Kan. He took first place in the novice division which included four other high schoolers from around the area.

“I saw a lot of potential. The very first time I saw him, I knew he could do well,” Demeter’s coach Morgan Edwards said. “Coming from his martial arts background, he has the discipline to be a bodybuilder.”

During a routine, the bodybuilder completes eight mandatory poses and a special routine choreographed to exhibit a bodybuilder’s strengths.

The preparation for a competition, however, is quite rigorous.

“A bodybuilding show takes a lot of work: posing, dieting, and training. It’s a lifestyle. I knew he would train like an animal for that show,” Edwards said.

“We wanted Richard’s routine to look experienced, like he had competed in a number of shows. We achieved that.”

Seeking to compete at a high level, Demeter spends two hours training at the gym every day. Demeter also exercises to relieve his stress.

According to bodybuilding.com, an effective bodybuilding program has a variety of health benefits, including reduced anxiety and lowered risk of cardiovascular disease.

“I do a lot of compound movements and volume, a lot of reps and sets of each exercise. I usually start at 20 reps, work my way down to a lower volume, then back up,” Demeter said.

Demeter usually varies his workouts.

One day he will work his chest and back, and then the next day, he will do his arms and legs.

“It’s the priority principle. If I can do chest, I’ll do it. If I’m sore, I’ll do back.

And if I’ve done both, I’ll do legs and arms,” Demeter said.

Lifting weights, however, isn’t the only factor in reaching the apex of the sport. Diet, Demeter says, makes the largest difference in one’s physique.

Demeter eats between 5,000 and 6,000 calories every day, including his body weight in grams of protein.

“To me, diet is the most important thing. You can train all you want, but if you don’t eat right, you don’t get big,” Demeter said.

Demeter also drinks 2.5 liters of whole milk each night, and his monthly grocery bill exceeds $500. He thanks his mom for always cooking since he needs prepared food at all times in order to satisfy his appetite.

“He eats at night; he eats in the morning. Everything I put on the table, he eats. He just wants to gain more muscle. The more he works out, the more he needs to eat,” Simona Demeter, Demeter’s mother, said.

Demeter has large aspirations for the rest of 2015, aspirations that will require a lot more food.

“My goal is to be 230 pounds by the end of the year,” Demeter said. “ I can’t go back to the old days. It’s part of my daily routine. I eat too much.”

The North Star | 9

Halloween DIY

For the ladies

By Nicole Dolan

10 | Blue Valley North High School

Audrey Hepburn

Breakfast at Tiffany’s reminds me of how classy and elegant women were back in the 1950s and 60s. But even if you aren’t Holly G to a T, this could still be the costume for you! For this look in particular, I recommend the classic LBD look that we all associate with the timeless film (pearls and all).

1. LBD or a little black dress 2. Pearl necklace 3. Tiara 4. Black heels 5. Black sunglasses 6. Black forearm length gloves

Princess Mia Thermopolis The movie and its leading actress, Anne Hathaway, inspired girls of all types to be themselves and find their way through change. This is an outfit with a little bit of prep and grunge mixed together.

1. Navy Blazer 2. Light blue button-down dress shirt 3. Plaid skirt 4. Combat boots with long dark socks 5. Natural, frizzy hair 6. Glasses

Morton Salt Girl When it rains, it pours… salt.The Morton Salt girl is such an iconic brand figure and her outfit can be made out of clothes you may already have. If not, it can at least be re-worn in your fall wardrobe.

Any costume that doesn’t have to go to waste once Halloween is over is one well used.

1. Yellow dress 2. White tights 3. Yellow shoes 4. Umbrella 5. Hair down and straightened 6. Morton Salt container

Sometimes going out and buying a new costume every year can be exhausting and pricy. Here are some easy, fun and in some cases, free costume ideas to try out.

Ace, a zany private investigator who specializes in finding missing animals, is the perfect character for a guy looking to switch it up this year. His loud personality matches his loud sense of style. For this look, turn the weird up ten notches and wear the craziest patterns you own.

1. Sunglasses 2. Hair gelled up with sideburns 3. White tank 4. Hawaiian shirt 5. Red, striped or any crazy, red, patterned, and loose pants with a black belt 6. Black boots or sneakers

Jim Halpert’s “Bookface” Jim’s known for his puns and funny Halloween costumes.

It’s the perfect look for a last-minute party invite or a very punny guy. For this look, it’s all about the basics and for laughs.

1. Buttoned-down shirt tucked in 2. Dark dress pants with a dark belt 3. Dark tie 4. Write “BO” on the right cheek 5. Write “OK” on the left cheek 6. Dark shoes

Fifty Shades of Gray Another Halloween costume for the punny people. It is simple but may need commute to a local Wal-Mart or Home Depot for the paint samples. This look is simple and again, very doable for a last-minute outfit.

1. Gray v-neck tee shirt 2. Gray pants 3. Tape paint samples to the shirt

For the fellas

Ace Ventura

The North Star | 11

FOOTING THE BILL

BY COREY MINKOFF

CC image courtesy of Flickr

HOW CAN PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE STUDENTS PLAN ON PAYING FOR THEIR COSTLY EDUCATION? 12 | Blue Valley North High School

A

s the school year begins high school seniors begin sending in their college applications.

With another year come and gone, we have also bore witness to another rise in college costs across the board. This does not merely mean the cost of tuition, but also room and board, books and other fees have all seen similar increases.

The average college student is typically able to receive enough scholarship or financial aid to cover

the costs of half of his or her entire education; the rest being covered either out of pocket or with student loans. Some of the staff at Blue Valley North offered their own perspectives regarding the issue of trying to avoid going into debt.

Social Studies teacher Jeff Breedlove expressed how much of this stress is created by students themselves, who inevitably are forced to pay a higher bill as a result of attending a more competitive university.

“KNOWLEDGE IS POWER. JUST BEING AFRAID OF SOMETHING WITHOUT DOING YOUR DUE DILIGENCE IS NOT VERY WISE.” “I think that a lot of kids, especially at Blue Valley North, feel like they have to go to a toptier school, and if they don’t do that, somehow their chances or opportunities for success are diminished,” Breedlove said. “That’s also part of the super-competitive nature we have here, and it’s definitely putting an economic burden on families.”

Breedlove currently teaches a course on economics and has spent time talking with his students about the potentially large college costs. He believes that students can alleviate much of this stress by rationally choosing a school which will fiscally suit them.

“Of course there are really great kids who will choose to go [to a school] simply because it relieves their stress,” Breedlove said. “I mean, who wants to put themselves into a situation where for four months, not only are they completing incredibly rigorous applications, but they’re worried about if they get in if they’re going to be able to receive any financial aid?”

The search for financial aid has also struck up a growing phenomenon in which more students simply attempt to jam as many extracurriculars into their schedules as possible in order to make themselves more likely to

receive financial aid.

“I see a lot of kids trying to ‘resume-pad’ because they think that there is some sort of connection between being something like a president of a club and there being some sort of payoff,” Breedlove said. “I would argue that it’s actually better to do a few things well and deeply than it is to do everything.”

This is a belief which is also held by Gifted Education teacher Michele Buche.

“You don’t want to just pack your resume with as many activities as possible,” Buche said. “You want to pick out the things that are important to you, and then you want to try to make a difference and improve that sphere of influence.”

Given that she has spent years working with students on applications, Buche is more knowledgeable than most regarding the college admissions process and, more importantly, how students can best set themselves up to receive financial aid. She currently believes that there are more viable options which students can pursue in order to receive more aid, however.

“The easiest way to get scholarship money and get a lot of it is through standardized test scores,” Buche said. “Our kids are historically better at the ACT than

the SAT. If I were going to advise kids, I think they really need to look at what their baseline ACT score was, and think about if they have studied or really set realistic goals. It’s really up to them to go the extra mile and do practice tests.”

For those who do not believe that they would be able to test well, regardless of how much they practiced, there are still other options which they can pursue.

“If a kid has, for instance, a little bit of test anxiety, they can ensure that they get credit for a class by getting those College Now hours,” Buche said.

Buche still understands why students are stressed about the process, but she believes the only way to end their frustrations is to buck up and approach it head-on.

“I think that kids need to go to each college’s website and look, realistically, at what the tuition is,” Buche said. “Knowledge is power.

Just being afraid of something without doing your due diligence is not very wise.”

Though the college admissions process can be frightening, the message which needs to be expressed to students was best summarized by the words of Jeff Breedlove.

“What kids have to remember is that it doesn’t matter as much where you go,” Breedlove said.

“What matters is that they go.”

The North Star | 13

Is it just for the resume?

“A

nd guys, this would look awesome on a college resume.”

DECA Advisor Ben Levy wraps up his speech and leans back against the wall in Room 306. There are more than four dozen students in the class; some of them are seated, others stand, and the rest try to squeeze into the room one way or the other. They’re all gathered there for the first DECA meeting of the year.

“If you want community service hours for your resume, then this is a good club to join!”

A few hallways down, an equally large number of students cram into the Special Education room where Mrs. Steinwart is about to start the introductory meeting for the BVN KAY Club — a school-sponsored

students doing these activities because they actually enjoy them, or because they look attractive on their resumes?

“Every hour not spent in class is spent building a formidable resume,” David Graham, a writer for The Atlantic, said in his article ‘How to get into Harvard.’

Community Service for the Right Reasons

To some, community service acts as a means to give back to those in need, but to others, community service becomes another number on a resume.

“Our system encourages community service as a requirement to get that detail on the resume,” AP English teacher Susan Whitfield said.

“And I worry that it undermines the “What is it that you were meant to actual purpose be? High school is a safe place to of community begin to know, what that something is. service.”

Of course, there It’s not permanent; it doesn’t matter 10 years from now, except that did you are those who disagree. become who you were meant to be?”

“In my opinion, I think [students] do [community service] because community service club. they really want to do it.” AP With all the activities that the government teacher Nancy Pence school offers, it’s clear that BVN said. “In this area, I think that students have many opportunities families instill that value in their to be involved; however, are children.”

14 | Blue Valley North High School

By atne r a l u K n Kusalwi ok M Amanda ke lar Sophia C

Activities Just for Looks

What’s more important regarding extracurriculars on a resume: quality or quantity?

“If there is a benefit to the individual,” said Whitfield. “In that, ‘I forced myself to do something that was way out of my comfort zone, but benefited from it,’ [then] really, that’s the resume that you should be building.”

While there are activities that are meant for passionate students, there are other activities that are more inclined towards resume-building.

“For example, NHS,” said 2015 North graduate, Sophie Jerwick.

“You go to one meeting a month and you do your community service, keep your GPA up, and then you just put it on your resume.

To me that was something like a resume builder.”

Since Blue Valley North didn’t offer opportunities that drew her passion, Jerwick, like many passionate students, instead decided to pursue those passions outside of school.

“I was involved in this group called the Girls Grant Project, a leadership board through the Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City” Jerwick said. “It wasn’t something I was doing for the resume, it was something I was doing for me, so I would have done [it] without that external benefit.”

A class of sophomores sit in on one of their first AP classes, taught by Jeff Breedlove.

Photo by Amanda Mok

Leadership Opportunities

BVN offers over 50 clubs and activities, each with several leadership roles. It is generally expected that leaders be actively involved in their respective activities; however, this is not always the case. Whitfield also believes that some leaders are only in such a position because they want it listed on their resumes.

“I think that in some cases leadership positions are like the whited sepulchres: they sure look good on the outside, but then, if you’re never called to it, the motivation is only extrinsic,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield also acknowledges that there are some participants who are actually dedicated to their participation and leadership in their respective activities.

“There are also people who are pretty passionate about certain things,” Whitfield said. “For instance, they would be in band no matter what, or they would debate no matter what.”

Go AP or Go Home

According to college counselor, Sharon Sevier, there are students

who take accelerated courses even “When admissions officers if they aren’t particularly interested say they’re looking for students in them, just so they can receive who show ‘passion’,” Newport the AP credit, because they feel writes, “what they really mean is pressured to impress with their that they’re looking for the type transcripts. of student who could sit down “There seems to be a perception and chat about a topic for thirty that there are ‘the right’ courses to minutes and hold an audience’s take,” Sevier said. attention.”

Others feel that students take these “You see that they pick one thing challenging courses really big and you stick with that. because they feel that they don’t have a You make it your pride and joy. choice in the matter Colleges look at your devotion “I’d say that some level and know you’re a committed people are forced to be [in AP],” said person that way.”

Whitfield. “I think that colleges are pressuring students to take these According to the professionals, classes — I think that it’s consistent colleges are more impressed with pressure.” the students’ commitment to their activities, rather than the number of activities listed in their resume.

What Colleges Are “If you look at all these people Actually Looking for doing philanthropic work you see Cal Newport, an author of that they pick one thing really big numerous high school and college and you stick with that,” Pence guidebooks, argues that colleges are said. “Make it your pride and joy. able to read through an applicant’s Colleges look at your devotion resume and deduce whether he or level and know you’re a committed she was truly passionate about what person that way.” he or she did.

The North Star | 15

CC image courtesy of Mark Rain via Flickr

The Breaking Point

An examination of the environmental and political effects of climate change

By Caroline White

T

he Climate Change Theory refers to the idea that greenhouse gases released into the air by burning fossil fuels trap heat from the sun in the atmosphere, causing the average temperature on Earth to increase.

This increase changes existing weather patterns. In addition to the rise in temperature, climate change causes a rise in sea-level, droughts and floods, heavier storm surges, shrinking of ice sheets and more.

Scientific evidence supports the claim that these changes are caused by humans burning fossil fuels, 16 | Blue Valley North High School

even though some continue to deny its existence.

“We know that human activity is changing the climate. That is beyond dispute,” President Barack Obama said while at the GLACIER conference in Alaska on Aug. 31.

The term “global warming” has been used loosely in the past and often describes climate change, but there is a slight difference between the two terms. According to NASA’s climate change website, global warming is the long-term temperature rise of the planet,

whereas climate change includes global warming, but describes a larger range of changes. Gary Lezak, Chief Meteorologist at Kansas Scripps Howard Broadcasting (KSHB), has a conflicting view. He believes that the two terms are synonymous.

Years of research have revealed that human activity is the most likely cause of the changes in weather patterns because they continually burn fossil fuels to supply energy. Some outside of the scientific community, however,

deny this phenomena, as it is a gradual process, making it difficult to observe.

“No one is drawing a clear enough connection between the long-term causes of climate change and the weather we’re now experiencing.

The storms and droughts will alter our food prices, but it will happen gradually. It’s not happening fast enough to command our attention,” former BVN social studies teacher, Steve Skiles said.

Scientists, who are constantly researching and measuring levels of carbon dioxide, have evidence to prove that climate change is, in fact, happening.

“To say you don’t believe in climate change is simply saying that you’re choosing to put your head in the sand and not believe the facts,” Chris Ollig, biology teacher and BVN environmental club sponsor, said.

As climate change continues to progress and become more severe, so do weather patterns. When weather hits extremes, agriculture is negatively influenced, affecting everyone.

“Anytime you have an extreme weather event in a particular region, that can be difficult. Water shortages, crops and food can become an issue. Maintaining the resources we need to survive becomes more difficult,” Ollig said.

Climate change can also affect human health. According to The Lancet, an acclaimed UK medical journal, the implications of climate change for a global population threatens to undermine the last half century of gains in development health.

Extreme weather events can contribute to carbon monoxide poisoning, increased stomach and intestinal illnesses among

“We know that human activity is changing the climate. That is beyond dispute.” evacuees and contribute to mental illnesses such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to epa.gov. Scientists are also predicting that global warming will increase the frequency of unhealthy levels of ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant. This ozone may damage lung tissue, reduce lung function and inflame airways. This could potentially increase respiratory symptoms and aggravate asthma or other lung diseases.

As for the Kansas City area, Lezak implied that climate change could make summers even hotter.

“When there’s a heat wave, there’s a chance that the heat waves could be stronger and that would impact us by causing conditions more favorable for heat-related illnesses and death,” Lezak said.

While it is clear that climate change is already happening, it can be reduced. Ollig suggests trying to change everyday behavior. These small acts include carpooling, buying locally produced products and using sustainable items that use more renewable products.

“If we clean up our environment and spend time trying to keep a cleaner Earth, then that will benefit us either way, whether it helps with global warming or not,” Lezak said.

Being informed about presidential candidates and their views on climate change can make a large difference in how the issue is addressed, if at all.

Generally, Democrats believe in climate change and support legislation that combats climate change. While the number of Republicans that deny climate

change is shrinking, many tend to either ignore or oppose legislation that helps prevent it. “[Climate change] is a controversial political issue because acknowledging human responsibility for [it] means you have to assume the responsibility to do something about it,” Skiles said.

Acknowledging climate change is risky for politicians because investing in green technology can be costly; however, an increasing trend in renewable resources has been seen in the past years.

“It’s a lot easier for politicians to say something like, ‘there’s no scientific proof that humans are causing it,’ or ‘we have to wait for more evidence.’ It’s a cop-out, but it’s the safe play. Anyone running for office is looking to make the safe play,” Skiles said.

President Obama has recently proposed a Clean Power Plan, setting the first ever carbon pollution standards for existing power plants. Power plants are the largest source of pollution that contributes to climate change, and prior to President Obama’s program, there have been no federal limits regulating how much pollution power plants could emit. This plan will boost the U.S. economy, create jobs and lower the costs of renewable energy.

The White House also claims that the plan will protect the health of American families in 2030 by preventing premature deaths, non-fatal heart attacks and asthma attacks in children; however, with the presidential election well on its way, many people are looking closely at the candidates’ climate The North Star | 17

Political cartoon by Consuelo Covington

Trump’s fantasy vs. Obama’s reality

“To say you don’t believe in climate change is simply saying that you’re choosing to put your head in the sand and not believe the facts.” change proposals, especially from the two individuals in the lead.

Hillary Clinton has vowed to increase wind, solar, and other renewable resources in an attempt to provide 33 percent of America’s electricity by 2027 enough to power every home in the U.S. She is calling for a 700 percent increase in solar power by 2020. According to Clinton’s campaign website, she also plans to launch a Clean Energy Challenge that will form a new partnership with states, cities, and rural communities.

Donald Trump, the current leading GOP candidate, does not 18 | Blue Valley North High School

believe in climate change.Trump has sent multiple tweets criticizing those that believe in climate change and disapproves of green legislation. He has tweeted that global warming is a “hoax” because of cool temperature in his location, that the clean energy program is a waste of money and that wind turbines are “environmental disasters.” Trump also tweeted that “the concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”

Clearly Trump is not a fan of legislation that helps combat these environmental changes.

“When Trump said that [climate change] was all made up, that shows that he does not have a policy on it,” Jason Smajda, U.S. history and international relations teacher said.

If greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced, climate change will

only become more severe, affecting younger generations the most. “‘Climate breakdown’ is happening. We may not be able to stop it or even slow it down, but we’ll have no one to blame but ourselves if we don’t try. We owe ourselves, and everyone else, at least that much,” Skiles said.

A polluting power plant emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. CC image courtesy of Martin Abegglen via Flickr

We Don’t Know Politics Addressing Political Ignorance at Blue Valley North

Donald Trump photo via Redstate.com Ben Carson photo via Flickr Hillary Clinton photo via Wikipedia Commons

V

By Michael Paul & Gigi Wildman

“Voting is a right best exercised by people who have taken time to learn about the issues,” political commentator Tony Snow said.

The first presidential election of the United States in 1776 sparked the beginning of custom that is exercised by American

citizens; however, in recent years, participation in the political process, especially for soon to be voters, has declined. This has the potential for serious consequences with regard to leaders of the American people.

“In the end, every vote matters, so

how we elect now can affect how we live with that decision over the next four years, or even longer. That will drastically impact the future of the United States, and even the world,” president of the BVN political science club Rob Nickel said.

The North Star | 19

Almost 70 percent of BVN students considered themselves knowledgeable about current politics.

“I think North students are pretty well educated.

Demographic wise, that is how it is around here, especially in my government classes and the AP classes,” social studies teacher Nancy Pence said.

Although BVN students are thought of as inherently politically aware, a majority are not as informed as they consider themselves to be. On average, less than 27 percent of BVN students know basic facts about the current policies of the 2016 presidential candidates, such as which candidates are pro-choice or which candidates plan to cut the military budget, and 61 percent of students couldn’t even name more than three declared Republican candidates.

“I think that [students] are just not interested in politics… I think the main cause is that people just

get bored and they don’t really all of their policies? Probably not,” care,” president of the BVN Young Pence said. “[The media plays] Republicans Club Sean Tudas immensely into this. Since the said.

Kennedy and Nixon election, it The lack of interest in current is the candidate that looks the politics leads students to rely on best, and usually the candidate information that that is the most is not always attractive who “I think [students] correct. With know the person they will win over the a wide variety one that is not.” like.

Do they know resources 80 percent of all of their policies? available, BVN students including social said that their Probably not.” media, it can opinions have be hard to identify incorrect been influenced by other factors, information. This can cause including media, friends, family students to latch on to the and school. Using the wrong personas of candidates instead of source can be a key factor the actual policies. For example, in educating the naive voter 90 percent of North students incorrectly. Many sources are were able to name the outspoken partisan to certain topics as well Donald Trump as a Republican and don’t always provide complete Party candidate, but only 28 information. percent of North students could “Each [media outlet] has their name the comparatively reserved own bias, so using one specific Ben Carson, who is in 2nd place [media outlet] doesn’t always among the polls. show the whole truth,” Nickel “I think [students] know the said. person they like. Do they know Without knowing all of the facts necessary to make an informed vote, the initial view of a candidate may be different than how the candidate turns out to be in the end.

“It can absolutely be dangerous [to vote based on other citizens’ beliefs]. Sometimes you get those horrific historical figures because they were popular, so you have to be careful of that,” Pence said.

Voting in such a fashion can have an effect on the future lives of BVN students, especially as Percent of students who considered themselves educated about politics students graduate high school and Percent of students who could name Donald Trump as a Republican Party candidate move on to live their lives more Percent of students who could name Ben Carson as a Republican Party candidate independently.

Percent of students who could name Hillary Clinton as a Democrat Party candidate “The next president is going Percent of students who could name Bernie Sanders as a Democrat Party candidate to have a long-lasting effect on Percent of students who knew which political party was predominately pro-choice

20 | Blue Valley North High School

*Data according to the survey results of 100 Blue Valley North students

[students] because we will just be getting out of college and be looking for jobs when his or her term is over. It will change our future,” Tudas said.

Ultimately, the responsibility of voting falls on the citizens, so it is up to people, such as BVN students, to take initiative in their education.

[People that are uneducated] can vote, and their votes count

the same as someone with the most articulated 5 on the AP Government exam. That’s the beauty of it; everybody is somewhat equal in that way, but it can also be a disadvantage,” Nickel said.

Pence also believes in the beauty of democracy and hope that students will use their freedoms wisely.

“Human nature will always be

human nature… But I think the system works. Is there the perfect candidate? probably not, but an informed electorate can choose the better one,” Pence said.

How To Easily Get Informed “

[Everyone] should be the best informed they possibly can be about the candidates that they [are] voting for. That is… looking at more than just a soundbite. It’s looking at a speech that they make, it’s looking at their webpage, it’s looking at… records out there about how they have stood on an issue before.

- Nancy Pence

”

“

I have tons of apps. CNN, FOX, KMBC, LA TIMES, NY TIMES, all those different apps that they send me alerts when things are happening in politics, or even just local events.

- Sean Tudas

”

“

Even if you just watch a little bit of news, that is a good way to educate. But that doesn’t mean you should watch the same news channel all of the time. A lot of them are biased so watching different news channels can get you different opinions and information.

- Rob Nickel

”

Twitter accounts to follow: @PresidentialUSA @Politico @Meetthepress @TheDemocrats @GOP @CarlyFiorina @marcorubio @RealBenCarson @realDonaldTrump @BernieSanders @HillaryClinton @JebBush

The North Star | 21

By Sammy Galapo Design by Kendall Avenia

A glance into BVN ’ s past

One day during class, a few newspaper students were surfing the web and stumbled upon an interesting video.

What we found was BVN alum, Andrew Ralston’s video tour of Blue Valley North in 1991. His video inspired us to write about how BVN has changed since then.

Ralston’s 1991 video can be found here: http://bit.ly/1KOQWlD

I

n 1986 Blue Valley North officially opened its doors to students in the Overland Park area. To put that in perspective, that same year, the Kansas City Royals were a year removed from winning the World Series, Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in the history of professional boxing, and the “Oprah Winfrey Show” went national. 29 years later, Blue Valley North remains a strong presence in the Overland Park community, in the state of Kansas, and around the world.

Since its founding, Blue Valley North has held a strong educational presence, thanks in part to some of the state’s most reputable teachers.

“Some of the most experienced teachers left Blue Valley High

22 | Blue Valley North High School

School to come and [teach] at Blue Valley North, and I felt like we had a very strong school academically”, Max Brown, who has taught at North since its opening, said.

Many, including 1990 BVN graduate Mark Rose, agree with Brown’s view of the academic standard at north.

“I remember, we scored really well among not just Blue Valley schools but all schools, in reading comprehension, and math, and stuff like that”, Rose said.

The academic standard that Brown and Rose saw develop, has been kept alive through the 80s,

Linticum Architects’ orgininal designs for Blue Valley North illustrate how many structural changes the school has gone through over the years.

90s, 2000s, and it is still relevant today.

In 2015, Newsweek reported the average ACT Score for students at BVN was 25.75, higher than both the Kansas state average of 21.9 and the national average of 21.0.

The staple of any educational institution is its academics. Blue Valley North’s mission statement places an emphasis on education from the start.

“Blue Valley North High School is dedicated to educational excellence resulting in academic achievement and personal growth for each student.”

Through the years, BVN has been recognized with many academic honors including the prestigious U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Award in 1991 and 2008.

“We’ve always been a very high achieving school,” senior Emily Jones said, “it can be motivating, but at the same time can be kind of stress-inducing. Sometimes [students] feel pressured to take lots of difficult classes.”

BVN also offers a variety of activities and clubs for its students.

“At BVN there were so many activities that I couldn’t even wrap my head around doing more than a handful because they kept you really busy,” 2004 BVN graduate Rachel Frische said.

This wide array of extracurricular opportunities has only grown since Frische attended.

“I came [to BVN] from a private school, and I immediately noticed how many clubs and activities there were here. There’s defnitiely something for everyone, which definitely makes kids feel more included,” senior Becca Renton said.

Photo by Sammy Galapo

1991 BVN graduate Andrew Ralston developed his passion for acting with Mr. Brown in the BVN Drama Club.

“He had us lip sync a song of our choice on stage, and it was pretty horrible, but you have to go through those experiences in order to get more confident. I’m thankful for that, for those experiences”, said Ralston of his time in the Drama Club.

More than extra-curricular activities, BVN also offers opportunities for students to examine their job prospects.

Career planning programs, that current students still enjoy, have been helping BVN students discover their passions for years.

“The health science exploration class gave me a huge advantage in terms of understanding my career better and knowing what classes I wanted to take in college...that gave me the insight I needed to know as far as which career path in medicine would be best for me” Frische said.

Being part of a tradition of academic excellence and extracurricular opportunity is inherent to BVN and its students, but tradition can also be found in the camaraderie of BVN. An example of this is the annual Senior Prank.

“One of the pranks I remember was when someone released a bunch of crickets in the hallways.

They were there for years afterwards and we used to hear them chirping all the time”, said Ralston.

These pranks have continued on through the years, and have only

“IT WAS PRETTY HORRIBLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES ... I’M THANKFUL FOR THOSE EXPERIENCES” gotten more and more intricate.

“We blocked everybody from exiting or entering the parking lot with our cars, so it was kind of impossible for people to get around, which was funny but the at same time annoying”, Frische said.

Additionally, with the advancements in technology in the last three decades, social interactions among students have seen a drastic change.

When BVN opened in 1986, Facebook and Twitter were 18 and 20 years respectively, from being invented.

The North Star | 23

“In ‘86 we didn’t have [social media], we didn’t have all the technology, computers and the Internet was just coming into being used”, Brown said. \ Today, online classrooms and social media play a crucial role in the operations of North.

“Every single one of my teachers posts homework online and sends us emails when we have updates on assignments,” senior Cameron Wall said, “I’m not sure about other classes, but my class has a facebook group which is a great way that we can communicate with everyone else in our class at one time.”

Blue Valley North has always had a special reputation as a school that appears different than others in the area. Even the students at BVN in the beginning years seemed to notice this.

“It was a brand new school, and it seemed to operate a little bit differently than other schools at the time”, Rose said.

Teachers too, were aware of this developing reputation of glamour around their school.

“We used to kind of have a hollywood high reputation. This

24 | Blue Valley North High School

“WE USED TO KIND OF HAVE A ‘HOLLYWOOD HIGH’ REPUTATION...” kind of elitism that was once associated with the opening of our school,” Brown said.

Because there was only one other Blue Valley high school at the time of North’s opening, an unspoken competetive nature arose between the students of the two schools.

“It was just us and Blue Valley.

I think we always thought of ourselves as being better than Blue Valley, we thought we were more pretentious, more refined,” Ralston said.

North has provided special opportunities, both academic and social, for students since its opening, and has only expanded since. It has always been a place that has srived to make all students feel comfortable.

“As a freshman, I never felt

(bottom left) BVN students in 1989 participate in the tug of war at the homecoming assembly. (bottom right) Students in 2015 continue the homing tradition of the tug-of-war at their homecoming assembly. photo by Sarah Park

intimidated. Everyone was welcoming and genuinely nice to me, which made it much easier to want to get involved,” Jones said.

Blue Valley North’s students and teachers are appreciative of the time they spent and the things they learned at BVN. “It was a pretty great school, we definitely have to feel proud of where we came from and that can be seen in all of our spirit days, our sports activities, our performances in the community, and even in how we performed after we graduated.”

Frische said.

Mr. Koehler agreed with his former student, “North is still the best place to be both a teacher and a student.”

HIGH SCHOOL

MUSICKEL

By Amanda Birger

Chorale selected to perform at State Choir Convention

L

Less than five minutes into class on the first day of

school, Choir Director Jason Sickel announced that Blue Valley North’s mixed chorale had been selected to perform in the 2016 Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) In-Service Workshop in Wichita. The North chorale is one of four high school choirs in the state of Kansas that was selected to perform at the convention. This is the first year that a North choir has ever been invited to perform at the event, which is the highest honor a high school choral ensemble can receive.

The selection process involves judges listening to anonymous tapes of choirs singing at the State Music Festival from the previous year. Blue Valley North alumnus Jourdan Cain was featured on the recording of the accomplished mixed chorale from the 2014-2015 school year.

“I’m happy to pass the torch onto the underclassmen.

I’m excited that they get to have this experience and that I helped to get them there.” Cain said. Cain went on to express the importance of senior leadership in chorale, emphasizing the value of getting underclassmen involved.

Senior Rachel Tingle has been a part of mixed chorale for three years and had the opportunity to go to the KMEA convention in Wichita, KS when her sister was performing in the 2009 and 2010 All-State choir. Because of her background in choir, Tingle was amazed by the talent she saw and was able to appreciate all of the hard work that went into the incredible final performance.

“Choir is much more difficult than people think it is.

It takes a lot of energy to stay focused every day, but Mr. Sickel does a great job keeping it fun,” Tingle said.

Tingle continued on to share that she is very thankful that the seniors last year were so dedicated and helpful. She hopes chorale can make them proud. According to Tingle, this year’s seniors have some big shoes to fill.

“We have to work hard to keep the underclassmen motivated so the choir will still thrive when we are gone while also keeping this year’s chorale and the specific

Choir Director Jason Sickel members of the choir in check” Tingle said.

She emphasized the importance of support from the director and from the student body as well. Tingle said that Mr. Sickel played a huge part in getting the chorale to where they are now.

Sickel has been running the choral department since 2013. Before Sickel came to North, he taught choir in the Louisburg Unified School District for eight years where he was awarded the Kansas Choral Director Association’s “Young Director’s Award” for outstanding choral directors in his first five years of teaching. As he begins his third year, Sickel says he feels like a part of the mustang community.

“The main difference between North and other schools I’ve taught at is that students here are more serious about music which allows me to choose more challenging literature,” Sickel said.

Sickel is excited for chorale to have the opportunity to perform in front of a statewide audience at the convention.

“Chorale is going to be contributing to the department’s reputation in a big way,” Sickel said.

The contest season can be very stressful for the students.

There is a lot of preparation involved and it takes up more of the students’ time. Everyone feels the pressure and anticipation as the performance creeps closer. According to Sickel, it is really great to see the students understand how much their hard work pays off.

The selection process is highly competitive. “From what I understand, there are 75 to 80 applicants including instrumental and vocal ensembles. The judges are high school and collegiate directors so the standard of performance they are looking for is very high. The judges don’t even have to choose a choir at all if none of the applicants meet their standards. It’s a tremendous honor that we are one of two 6A high schools selected to perform,” Sickel said.

Sickel wants this to be a great experience for the students, and he has no doubt that the performance in late February will be nothing but a success.

The North Star | 25

Everything Is Awesome!

Writer’s Workshop student submission It can be hard to see the beauty life has when it hurts, destroys and makes us feel bad.

It is in these times when the smallest of things matter: a song, a hug, or even a game of Chutes and Ladders.

These are the things I like to treasure and they let me know I’ll make it through whatever.

A nice book, a nice day and maybe even some light rain, can bring comfort and make things okay.

Some good food and some good laughs always make my happiness last.

What I’ve found, is if I look around Everything is Awesome!

Even on those days: those crazy bad days, the easing pain comes from the simplest things.

A “Hello!” instead of “Morning.”

A “Thank you!” instead of silence.

Even the warmth of a caring smile.

For me it’s a joke, or maybe some Snickers.

I’m also a sucker for a new action figure.

But in all honesty, what makes my day is to know my family and friends are okay.

To see them smile, have fun, and laugh creates fond memories that will always last.

What I’ve found is if I look around Everything is awesome!

Do you ever take a step back to look at where you are?

Compared to others it may not seem very far.

Never forget that your path was made for you.

With all its twists and turns, and car wrecks too.

But keep the faith, your GPS always works.

Never stop to second guess, and always know your worth.

I know when one door closes, another will always open, and on the way from here to there I’ll never forget to stop and stare.

For life has innumerable things to offer, and what I’ve found is if you look around Everything is Awesome!

By Trinity Cuffee 26 | Blue Valley North High School

Building a L Legacy

By Jaxson Dubinsky ast season, the Mustangs had more wins than in the previous three years combined. With a new head coach, Andy Sims at the helm, they proved that they are a program moving in the right direction. The team had 11 all-conference members on the team, and 10 of them have returned for the 2015 season. The team lost six seniors from the previous season, and currently has 26 seniors on the 2015 team.

Blue Valley North recorded wins against GardnerEdgerton and Shawnee Mission Northwest. The Mustangs lost to Shawnee Mission West in their last game, nearly making the postseason for the first time in 10 years, shocking the metro. Moving on from the past year, the team has very high hopes for the upcoming season and expects to prove to everyone that they are the real deal. They opened up their season with a huge 41-0 win against Blue Valley Southwest, followed by a 42-13 loss to the 5A preseason State Champions, Saint Thomas Aquinas. The team has bounced back from that loss with three straight EKL wins, putting them in a tie for first place in the league. The most impressive of these wins came as Joey Dolan connected with Charlie Brock to cap off a 17 point comeback against Blue Valley High School. The Mustangs are now 4-1 and are competing for their first EKL Championship since 2003.

Photo courtesy of Adam Murray

The North Star | 27

20

Josh Pederson

was All-EKL Honorable Mention in 2014, catching four touchdowns

30

Carter Howes

was All-EKL on offense and defense. Is also a second year captain.

40

50 Madison Carrera-Welch

40

N DT

was voted a team captain this year and started all nine games last season.

Ryan Klepper

3 0

earned All-EKL Honorable Mention at Offensive Line and started all nine games

28 | Blue Valley North High School

LT

LG

NT

earned Second Team All-EKL last year and was the team’s leading tackler.

Spence Bodenhammer

DT

RT

was a team captian in 2014 and was an All-EKL Honorable Mention linebacker as well.

Cooper Lantefield

Joey Dolan

is the starting Quarterback for the team. He passed for 2007 yards in 2014 and earned All-EKL Honorable Mention at quarterback.

4 0

was All-EKL Honorable Mention last year and also played defense.

3 0

RG

Angus Stoddart

5 0

Alex Blake

was the team’s leading reciver in 2014 with eight touchdowns. He was also Second Team All-EKL

4 0

30

is a first year starter this year and was a rotator on defense last season.

N

T

2 0

Jack Gordon

The North Star | 29

Beaty’s K ey to SU c

By Jake Kaufman

J

an. 3rd, 2008. Coach Mangino leads the Jayhawks to a 24-21 win over Virginia Tech in the BCS Orange Bowl.

This marked the first BCS victory in Kansas University football history.

Massachusetts Street, in Lawrence, Kan. was flooded with excitement as Jayhawk fans partied all night. The victory seemed to mark a new beginning in KU football.

The following season, KU finished with seven wins and five losses and went on to beat the University of Minnesota 42-21 in the Insight Bowl in their final game of the season. This was another accolade for KU football history after winning back to back bowl games for the first time ever.

Despite the success, it marked the beginning of the end.

30 | Blue Valley North High School

2009 was Mangino’s last season after losing seven straight games and missing a bowl bid.

From 2010 to 2014, KU has gone through three head coaches and finished with a record of 12-48 with only three wins in the Big 12 Conference.

“I expected this when they fired Mangino,” former Jayhawk and current Denver Bronco, Aqib Talib said. “Anyone could see this coming. You don’t take a great coach away from a program like that and expect things to be fine.”

So how does the program turn itself around? The key is likely new Head Coach, David Beaty.

Beaty was the wide receivers coach at KU in 2008-09. He transformed former Jayhawk Dezmon Brisco into arguably the best wide receivers in the school’s history, recording 1,407 receiving yards during that season.

The 2015 season will be challenging for Beaty since he joins a young team with only four returning players from last year. By seasons end, it’s not going to be the Jayhawks record that should be looked at, but the improvement of players. Unlike former head coaches Charlie Weis and Turner Gill, Beaty cares. He is committed to turning around KU Football.

“I won’t sleep until we give you something to be proud of,” Beaty said.

To please KU fans, Beaty must create a winning

ccess program which requires quality coaching and recruiting.

Before he coached at the collegiate level, Beaty was a high school coach in Fort-Worth Texas. His strong ties to the Lone-Star state is what makes him one of the strongest recruiters in the game.

KU gave out 50 offers to Texas recruits for the 2015 season. 19 of them committed to KU, and 15 of the 19 did so after Beaty was hired.

“Until now, the recruiting down here just hasn’t been the same as it was with the Mangino staff,” Texas Berkner High School football coach Jim Ledford said. “Weis’ staff had a chance to succeed but didn’t execute.”

During the offseason, KU held its first ever satellite camp in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

“If you’re asking me what has hurt them, I would say that they took so long to do satellite camps when everyone else has been doing them for years.

David knows how to do that,” Ledford said.

Another big key to Beaty’s success is the co-defensive coordinator and cornerback coach, Kenny Perry.

Perry spent the last two years at Texas Christian University, and like Beaty, has great ties to Texas.

He is known for his high school developement.

“Coach Perry is the definition of relationships and development. His ability to connect with kids

KU football’s regular season records since the 2008 Orange Bowl: 2008: 7-5 Insight Bowl Champions 2009: 5-7 2010: 3-9 2011: 2-10 2012: 1-11 2013: 3-9 2014: 3-9

and get them to reach new heights in their careers is what has set him apart as one of the finest coaches in our profession,” Beaty said.

Beaty and Perry know how the game is supposed to be played. They both have had tremendous amounts of success throughout their coaching careers, but now, they take on their biggest challenge yet: returning KU’s football prestige.

Success isn’t going to come over night. It may take a few years, but for the first time since 2008, the Jayhawks are headed in a positive direction.

The North Star | 31

CUT THE CARDS

Cut out the trading cards of some all-star Mustangs.

By Jaxson Dubinsky and Jake Goldman

Mus

tang

2

Mus

tang

s

Position: Wide Reciever

4 Year Varsity Letter

2015 Receiving Totals through Oct. 6: 24 catches 328 yards 4 touchdowns

4 Year State-qualifier Multiple Top 8 finishes at State Tournament Ranked sixth in the state for the 2016 class

Class: 2016

Class: 2016

Lauren O’Brien

Charlie Brock Mus

Mus

tang

tang

s

3 Year Varsity Letter

Top 10 All-Time Kills

2015 Stats: 1 goal 3 assists

2015 Stats: 2nd on team in passing percentage Leads team in kills

Class: 2016

Margot Rhyner

s

Position: Center Mid

Position: Outside Hitter

2

s

Class: 2016

6

Trevor Hill